Diving In Panama City Beach, Florida

The Gulf waters surrounding Panama City Beach provide the perfect home for a wide variety of sea life. Sea turtles, giant manta rays, puffer fish, octopus, sand dollars, blue marlin and horseshoe crab are just a few of the species that inhabit these emerald waters, making for memorable diving in Florida.

The best time of the year for Panama City Beach diving is April through September. There are multiple dive shops in the area that can accommodate the needs of water-curious visitors and provide everything from boat charters and training, to equipment repair and rentals. Check out these listings for more info:

Check out our dive map and see all the best local spots, up close and personal! Historic wrecks are scattered throughout the region, and include a 441-foot World War II liberty ship; a 220-foot tug, The Chippewa; a 160-foot coastal freighter, the S.S. Tarpon; the 100-foot tug, The Chickasaw; and the 110-foot tug, The Grey Ghost; as well as the Gulf of Mexico's most famous wreck, the 465-foot Empire Mica. Because of these and so many others, Florida wreck diving is one of the most popular things to do in Panama City Beach, allowing for an unforgettable underwater experience.

For a list of the GPS and Loran C coordinates for Bay County/Panama City Beach diving sites, Click HERE. This list includes some of the best Florida wreck diving around!

In addition to wrecks, 50 artificial reefs have been developed offPanama City Beach as part of a community-coordinated project with the Panama City Marine Institute. Allowing for the additional growth of exotic sea life, these reefs include Stage I, Stage II, fifteen 160-foot long and 35-foot high bridge spans, ten barges, the City of Atlantis, the LOSS Project and others. These reefs allow for fabulous opporhe Gulf waters surrounding Panama City Beach provide the perfect home for a wide variety of sea life. Sea turtles, giant manta rays, puffer fish, octopus, sand dollars, blue marlin and horseshoe crab are just a few of the species that inhabit these emerald waters, making for memorable diving in Florida.

The natural reefs, just a few miles offshore, range in depth from 80 to 100 feet and from three to eight feet in height. They offer an ideal spot for viewing a plethora of underwater creatures, including small corals and colorful sponges. Closer to shore, the jetties at St. Andrews State Park are popular spots for snorkelers

Divers coming to Panama City know that the waters offshore are home to nearly 100 shipwrecks and artificial reef sites in addition to small limestone reefs without number. Which type of dive appeals most is a matter of individual preference. Panama City is too far North in the Gulf to have the large hard corals like stag horn that divers associate with the Florida Keys. On the other hand PCB rarely experiences much in the way of current and visibility is between 30 and 40' most of the year. With the exception of diving the St. Andrews State Park Jetties and the Springs north of town, all Panama City diving is done from a dive boat.